Bears notebook: The longest yard

Jay Taft and Matt Trowbridge

Sunday

Oct 24, 2010 at 12:01 AMOct 24, 2010 at 7:07 PM

The Bears began the season by getting stopped five times from the 1-yard line against the Lions. They haven’t gotten better. Jay Cutler’s fumbled sneak in Sunday’s 17-14 loss to Washington left the Bears 0-for-10 from the 1-yard line this season.

The Bears began the season by getting stopped five times from the 1-yard line against the Lions. They haven’t gotten better. Jay Cutler’s fumbled sneak in Sunday’s 17-14 loss to Washington left the Bears 0-for-10 from the 1-yard line this season.

“I extended the ball forward, then Albert (Haynesworth) pushed me back,” Cutler said. “I started to go backwards. The middle linebacker came flying over the top and knocked it out.”

Haynesworth guessed right on the play.

“They figured that I was going to be over the A gap, so I used that against them, and I jumped over the offensive linemen,” Haynesworth said.

Cutler finished with five turnovers, including an interception when he threw deep to a well-covered Johnny Knox with just over two minutes left from the Chicago 47.

“I have to take that one,” Cutler said. “You can’t just put that ball up there.”

Cutler, who led the NFL with 26 interceptions last year, had four interceptions Sunday after having only three previously this year.

“Our defense had every right to be made at us,” Cutler said. “We blew that game offensively. Most of that falls on my shoulders.”

Defensive stars

Cornerback Charles Tillman forced two fumbles, recovered one and made a team-high eight tackles. Defensive end Israel Idonije had five tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and tipped a pass that D.J. Moore returned 54 yards for a touchdown.

“I was trying to come around and strip the ball, but I couldn’t get around him,” Moore said of the play, which began with him blitzing Washington quarterback Donovan McNabb. “He was bigger than I thought he was. Then Izzy came and deflected the ball in the air and I caught it. It was pretty much all Izzy.”

Knox ties career high

Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox tied a career-high with six receptions, finishing with 86 yards and a touchdown. The top four receiving games of his career have all come this season, including 120 against Seattle, 94 vs. Green Bay and 86 vs. Dallas.

Kicking away from Hester

Washington punted seven times, but angled five of them out of bounds and one into the end zone to keep the ball away from Devin Hester, who tied the NFL record for kick return touchdowns last week. Hester returned one punt for 12 yards.

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